Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke

About Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke

Reinhard Bonnke (19 April 1940 – 7 December 2019) was a German-born evangelist whose gospel crusades across Africa produced one of the largest documented harvests of souls in Christian history. Founder of Christ for All Nations (CfaN), Bonnke recorded more than 79 million decisions for Christ over the course of his ministry, and became known across the continent simply as the man who believed — and repeatedly declared — that "Africa shall be saved!" Born in Königsberg, East Prussia (present-day Kaliningrad, Russia), Reinhard was the son of a pastor and committed his life to Christ at the age of nine. As a teenager he received what he described as an unmistakable divine call to the African mission field — a call he would pursue without wavering for the next six decades. He attended the Bible College of Wales in Swansea under the influence of director Samuel Rees Howells, where he was shaped by a deep culture of prayer and faith, and was subsequently ordained in Germany. He and his wife Anni, whom he married in 1964, pastored a small church in Germany before answering the call they had carried for years. In 1967 Reinhard and Anni moved to Africa, beginning missionary work in Maseru, Lesotho. It was there, while seeking God, that he received a recurring vision that would define every day that followed — the continent of Africa being washed in the precious blood of Jesus, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Dakar to Djibouti. In 1974 he founded Christ for All Nations and held his first gospel crusade in Botswana. Only 100 people attended, but miraculous healings broke out and word spread rapidly. From those humble beginnings the ministry grew with astonishing speed. Bonnke progressed from a tent that seated 800 people, to a yellow tent holding 10,000, to commissioning in 1984 what was then the world's largest mobile tent — a specially constructed structure covering three football fields and seating 34,000. When even those crowds outgrew the tent, he moved permanently to open-air crusades where attendances of 150,000 and more became routine. At the Millennium Crusade in Lagos, Nigeria in November 2000 — the ministry's largest event to date — an estimated 1.6 million people gathered in a single day across a five-night crusade. His phrase "plundering hell to populate heaven" captured the audacity of faith that characterized every campaign. Bonnke complemented his crusades with structured follow-up programmes that ensured new believers were rooted in local churches. Beginning in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1986, he launched Fire Conferences — intensive gatherings equipping church leaders, evangelists, and pastors with tools and courage for soul-winning. The "Minus to Plus" mail evangelism campaign distributed over 95.5 million gospel messages globally. His follow-up booklet "Now That You Are Saved" was printed in 185 million copies across 103 languages in 55 countries. The Full Flame Film Series — eight inspirational films promoting Holy Spirit evangelism — extended his training ministry further still. In total, CfaN printed more than 200 million books and resources in 111 languages and dialects. Having appointed evangelist Daniel Kolenda to carry the ministry forward, Bonnke preached his farewell international gospel crusade in Lagos, Nigeria in December 2017 — where Africa had so often felt the weight of his faith — before stepping back from the crusade platform. On 7 December 2019, Reinhard Bonnke went to be with the Lord in Orlando, Florida, at the age of 79. He was buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park, Gotha, Florida. He is survived by his wife Anni, their three children — Kai-Uwe Friedrich, Gabrielle, and Suzanne — and eight grandchildren. The words he lived by remain inscribed on every CfaN crusade: "Let my mortal lips preach the eternal Gospel, and my mortal hands build your eternal Kingdom."